Entrusted | Romans 3:2

Several years ago, my dad took me to see my favorite baseball team, the Jackson Mets. During those years we would take a baseball, to the games to get the autographs of some of the future hall of famers. Through the years I collected the autographs of Darryl Strawberry, Doc Gooden, Mookie Wilson, Roger McDowell, Future Hall of Famer Gary Carter, and so many others. That group would become the nucleus of the 1986 World Series Team.

The Ball set on a stand in my bedroom. Unfortunately, 9 year old me didn’t understand the significance of the names of this ball. So when my friends and I were looking for a baseball to play with, I ran to my room and grabbed the ball. By the time my dad got back from being off shore and discovered what I had done, he was livid.

I still haven’t lived that one down 35 years later, and I think I’ll probably still hear about it for the rest of my life.

I was given a great gift and I squandered the gift I was entrusted with.

Paul is speaking to the Jews about the gospel and their heritage as Jews...

The Word of God is a GIFT

James 1:17–18 ESV

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

In this verse James explains the importance of God’s Word.

God’s Word is GOOD

Psalm 33:4 ESV

For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.

God’s Word is good for us to follow. It teaches who God is and what pleases him.

God’s Word is PERFECT

Psalm 18:30 ESV

This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

This means that God’s Word is complete. We need nothing else to know him and to know what pleases him. We don’t need more revelation. We don’t need a “Word from God”. All we need is his Word.

God’s Word is UNCHANGING

Matthew 24:35 ESV

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Because God does not change, his word does not change. God is the same, and his words are the same.

God’s Word is LIFE-GIVING

Finally, God’s Word gives life.

John 1:1 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:12–13 ESV

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Notice, Christ is the embodiment of God’s Word, He is the Logos, the last word of God. And in that Word, we find life.

Paul is saying that by having the Word, the Jews, and we who are Christians have a glorious gift. We have the gift of his good, perfect, unchanging, life-giving Word.

But, that’s not all he said.

The Word of God is a RESPONSIBILITY

Notice what Paul says. They were “entrusted” with the Word of God.

The word entrust means to assign the responsibility for doing something to or for someone.

To be entrusted means that we have a responsibility to God.

"To be entrusted with the word of God is to be made responsible for obeying and teaching the Word of God."

1 Thessalonians 2:4 ESV

but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

Paul understood that to have the word of God meant that he was entrusted with the gospel. So what are we entrusted to do with the Gospel?

We are to BELIEVE the Gospel

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

We must believe the gospel for ourselves first and foremost.

We are to LIVE the gospel

Ephesians 4:17–22 ESV

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,

We are to SHARE the Gospel

Romans 1:16 ESV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

We are called to not be ashamed of the gospel to.

We, like the Jews are entrusted with a sacred gift - the Word of God. Let us boldly believe, obey, and share the good news of God.

An elderly master carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.

He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”

Let me ask you a question today, Christian. If you discovered that the life you lived believing, living, and sharing the gospel were the bricks and mortar of your heavenly home, how would your mansion look? Would it look strong and well cared for, or would it look shody?

Would it look pristine on the bottom, but as it went up, towards the completion of its construction, dear elderly saint, would the workmanship look poor and haphazard.

What about you young believer? Would it be orderly and well kept, or would it be in disarray?

What are you doing with the gospel entrusted to you?